Stuttering Milwaukee sack manager

Yost's Brewers have stuttered in the final weeks of the season

Milwaukee Brewers have sacked manager Ned Yost - with just 12 games of the 162-game regular season remaining.

The Brewers have challenged Chicago Cubs for the National League Central title for most of the season.

But after losing 11 of their last 14 games, they now face a nervy battle if they are to win the NL wild card place.

It is the first time in Major League Baseball history in which a manager of a team in the play-off positions has been fired in August or later.

That record, announced by the Elias Sports Bureau - MLB's official statisticians - excludes the strike-hit 1981 season.

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Third-base coach Dale Sveum will take charge of the Brewers for the rest of the season.

"We just felt a managerial change at least gives us a chance to see if we can turn it around," general manager Doug Melvin said.

Yost, in his sixth season as Brewers skipper, saw his side just miss the play-offs last season after a late collapse.

But despite some starring performances from pitcher CC Sabathia, signed from Cleveland in July, the "Brew Crew" are now eight games behind the Cubs - and are tied with Philadelphia for first place in the National League wild card hunt.